Trying to work on hard rock/metal rhythm guitar technique for a new project. Any tips or recommended listening learning for that?

1. Down pick, down pick, down pick. No matter how fast the tempo, always try to down pick the on-beat notes. Not only does it sound better, it also keeps you in rhythm better and keeps your technique suitable for syncopated beats. James Hetfield is an absolute god at this. It's a sorta rite of passage in the metal community to be able to play Master of Puppets all down picked up to proper speed. A forearm killer but absolutely worth it in terms of developing proper technique.

2. Practise at high gain so that your muting technique develops proper. This is contrary to popular wisdom that you should practise clean. It took me a long time to come to terms with the fact that my perfect classical and jazz technique sounded god awful as soon as I added more gain as all the unplayed strings were constantly ringing out and muddying the sound. You need to be muting all the strings you aren't playing, with both hands. Also you need to make your palm muting technique sound good when playing riffs.

1. Down pick, down pick, down pick. No matter how fast the tempo, always try to down pick the on-beat notes. Not only does it sound better, it also keeps you in rhythm better and keeps your technique suitable for syncopated beats. James Hetfield is an absolute god at this. It's a sorta rite of passage in the metal community to be able to play Master of Puppets all down picked up to proper speed. A forearm killer but absolutely worth it in terms of developing proper technique.

Off topic, but the other day I was out for a run listening to Pandora and Master of Puppets came on. I probably dropped 15 seconds off my (admittedly super slow) mile pace while it was playing. Such a badass song.

I was going to reply, "Listen to James Hetfield." He's a monster on rhythm. The other night I was streaming that concert they did in the Roman amphitheatre in Nimes through the home theatre. He's still got it.

Since we're posting Teles I'm not sure if I ever posted mine. Basically mint I got from my teacher while I was studying at CIM… he was having a mid-life gear crisis and I needed an electric. Worked out pretty well for me as he sold it to me for a song and I'm pretty sure you don't see them with Leo's signature very often if at all.